Chasing Emerald Eyes
by Alphabet Combos
Summary: Alfred is a mess after Arthur leaves him. Not knowing how to help himself, his brother, Matthew comes to visit in hopes to get Alfred's life back together. But as Alfred begins to re-adjust to his life, it becomes terribly obvious to everyone but him that something is very wrong. *Mentions of current events, Violence.* UsUk Franada Other small pairings.
1. When Apologies Aren't Enough

" **Do you ever THINK, Alfred? About the consequences? About how I felt? Of course you didn't, because you're only ever thinking of yourself…And this is why we can't be together anymore."**

" **Wha-? What do you mean? I didn't mean-! It was just a small thing..."**

" **Small thing? Alfred, it's been many 'small things'! Small things add up and become bigger, and now I'm done. I can't do this anymore."**

* * *

Inside the house of Alfred F Jones…You could barely tell it's was a bright and sunny Friday afternoon. Piles of paperwork and old food containers littered the floor, if there even was a floor anymore. The only clean room in the house was the bedroom…Their bedroom.

A sharp ringing filled the sleeping nation's ears.

"Oh, say! Can you see by the dawn's early light?"

"No…" He was beginning to regret setting his ringtone for his own anthem.

"Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight, "

"Shut up..." He buried his head in his pillow.

"O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave-?"

"Oh for Christ's sake-" He pushed the answer button on his phone angrily. "WHAT?" He shouted into the mic of his smart phone.

"Uh…Hey Al." The voice on the other side said sheepishly.

"Oh..Matt, hey…" Alfred responded coyly to his brother, the nation of Canada. "S-sorry about that…What can I do for ya?"

Matt cleared his throat and came back to the mic. "Alfred…I've been worried about you since-"

"Please…don't mention it." He interrupted.

"Sorry, I just…" Matthew exhaled. "You haven't left your house have you? And I bet your place is filthy and…you've been sleeping on the floor, haven't you?"

Alfred's breath caught in his throat. Matt could always predict his behavior. "How..? How do you do that?"

"Because I'm outside, you don't cover your windows as well as you think you do. Come open the door."

Alfred shook his head and lurched himself down the stairs and waddled his way through the trash. Opening the door, he felt the outside breeze and breathed it in; A breath of fresh air, indeed. Matthew walked in and shut the door behind him, dropping his bags to the floor; Alfred eyed them curiously.

"How long are you staying?"

"Two weeks."

Alfred's brow rose. "I thought you would be with Francis…?"

Matthew's expression changed. "He…Has requested to be alone now. Otherwise, I would…" His voice cut off and they left it in silence. Alfred felt terrible. He never even asked if either of them were okay after the bombings in Paris. He wanted to say something now, but he felt it would be redundant by the look on Matt's face.

Alfred picked up his brothers bags and took him upstairs to the only clean room. He was reluctant, but felt guilty that he had been so swallowed up in self-pity that he couldn't even check on his brother after the love of his life had been attacked so viciously. Matthew seemed to notice this change in behavior, as he took his bags from Alfred and placed them in the hallway.

"This is your room, Alfred. I won't sleep in here, YOU need to sleep here." Matt crossed his arms. Alfred just nodded in compliance, though he knew he wouldn't. He couldn't. The room was too perfect and yet he didn't have the heart to disturb it.

Matt once again sighed. He knew his brother too well to expect much in terms of listening to what he said; but he also knew that getting Alfred working on something would be good for him. "Well, let's get started."

Alfred began to protest when Matthew hushed him. "You haven't cleaned this house in as many months as you haven't called." And they started cleaning.

It took eight hours with two half-hour breaks in-between to get the house moderately clean. The front yard had been cluttered with at least fifty bags of trash and they weren't even able to touch the basement; But overall, the house was a much a better environment to be in, plus, the smell had improved drastically. Alfred had passed out on the couch with old Looney Toons reruns, cuddled between an old American flag blanket and a union jack pillow.

Matthew moved around silently, arranging small things in the kitchen when he opened the pantry cabinet and found the biggest ball of fur he had ever seen. "What…?" He reached in and poked the ball with his index finger, it moved slightly and he withdrew his hand quickly. The fluff turned over and mewed.

"Oh geez…Hero, you are the fattest cat I have ever seen..." He groaned and pulled the heavy cat out of the cabinet. Hero was already a big cat, a brown and cream-colored Maine Coon with layers of fur all over him; but it seems that he got into the cabinets and survived for these few months on the food stored in there. Matthew cradled him and Hero looked up to him and batted at the long strand of hair coming from the top of his forehead.

"You're too cute...I should've brought Kumajiro with me so you-"Before he could finish his thought, he felt a vibration in his pocket; he pulls his phone out and checks it, one message.

 _*Is…he alright?*_

Matthew glances over at his sleeping brother and places Hero on the top of the couch where he curled up and went to sleep. He tapped at his phone, the keys making soft 'blip' noises in reply.

 _*I don't know.*_

* * *

 _And there you have it folks! First chapter of my newest fanfiction._

 _I have been away from this site for almost 4 years._

 _Please, PLEASE, let me know what you think about it._

 _I'm not a child, please give me your unbridled criticism._

 _I crave your words._

 _Also. If you have suggestions on stories, pairings, etc._

 _Send me a message._


	2. I Dreamt Of You Today

**Hello all! Here is the way too long awaited second chapter! I'm sorry for the wait. It was hard to find some motivation to write without much feedback from you guys. So if I could ask for some comments detailing your thoughts on this chapter as well as the first one, I would be absolutely thrilled! Thank you for your time!**

 **Also, here is a list of what grammatical symbols I use and what they mean in the story, to avoid confusion.**

* * *

 **/Bold/ =** Dream/Flashback/Memory

 _/*Italics*/ =_ Text message

 _/Italics/ =_ Emphasis

/' '/ = Inner Thoughts/Monologue/Noises

******* = Change in time

... = Hesitation within speech, for dialogue only.

* * *

 **Every "sorry" that was said only drove Arthur further away.**

" **I've heard it all before, Alfred. But your puppy dog eyes and your half-hearted apologies won't work on me now. I've let too much go."**

It had been two weeks since Matthew came to visit, and they still haven't touched the basement; not that anyone really minded. Alfred was now eating properly and returning to his work, the basement was now at the back of his mind on things to take care of, along with his bedroom.

"Speaking of work…" Alfred continued his thought aloud. "The UN conference is tomorrow…right?" He projected his voice to Matthew upstairs. He felt great, and motivated to see his beloved again. Alfred guessed he really just needed his brother and a kick in the ass to get going again.

Matt peeked out from the top of the staircase. "You're up to going?"

"I'm feeling fine, so why not? It's being held in Chicago anyway."

"Are you sure? There's no doubt that Arthur-"

"-I'll be fine, bro. I want to see him, actually…" Alfred reddened and fidgeted with his cowlick. He still loved Arthur more than anyone, but he couldn't afford to make any more mistakes if he indeed got Arthur back. 'I need figure out how to apologize, a simple 'sorry' will definitely not cut it…' Alfred thought.

Seeing his brother finally motivated to do something other than eat and watch movies, Matthew made his way down the stairs and held Alfred's shoulders firmly.

"You're overthinking things. How about you get ready and bring out your nicest suit and I'll get some dinner going?" Matt then left Alfred to himself.

"Hey Matt…How is Francis?" Alfred quickly asked. 'Wow…nice subject change Al.' He didn't want to ruin Matthews's mood, but he had to know.

Matt didn't seem to be fazed. "He's doing very well. His people's spirit is uplifting. There's a ton of support." Even though he couldn't see him, Alfred knew his brother was smiling, despite all the troubles; he was stronger than people gave him credit for.

Feeling satisfied, he went upstairs to find his suit; which, he remembered, was in his, _their_ old bedroom. Alfred summed up his courage and slowly walked to the large double doors that led into his bedroom; despite the cleaning they did the doors weren't touched and were covered in a thick layer of dust. Grabbing the handle, he opened the doors to only be greeted by waves of nostalgia.

First was the smell. Arthur loved cleaning their cherry wood furniture with lemon scented cleaner, he would take hours just to detail their room. Alfred touched the drawers to the wardrobe and glided his hand across the vanity.

Second were all the memories he had with Arthur in here; the night they spent together when Arthur first moved in; When they first got their cats, Hero and Biscuit, and they all cuddled together on the blanket; Then all the nights of reconciliation they had after fighting.

With a heavy sigh, he sat on his side of the bed, and held Arthur's pillow against his chest. Hero mewed at him and jumped up to huddle against Alfred's chest. Alfred smiled, but felt as if the nostalgia would make him weep bitter tears, so he laid his head on the pillow and closed his eyes.

" **I can't believe…We finally live under the same roof." Arthur spoke cheerfully as Alfred had just come in with the last of the boxes and put them down in front of the empty bookshelf.**

 **Alfred pulled Arthur close and hugged him. "I didn't really think it would ever happen…You can be such a prude." Alfred joked while cuddling the smaller man.**

 **Arthur laughed and punched his arm. "Oh shut your trap, you tosser." Alfred only chuckled and kissed his forehead.**

"Alfred! Dinner is-!" Matthew came upstairs, only to find Alfred sleeping peacefully on his old bed, cuddled up in the blanket and between the pillows. He decided to leave him alone and closed the door quietly.

Matthew headed back down the stairs and into the kitchen, he would eat alone tonight. He grabbed his plate of poutine, roast beef and vegetables and sat at the table.

 _*Blip*_

Matthew looked at the clock. "11pm? Who would be texting me now?" He pulled out his phone and frowned.

 _*Is he coming?*_

Matthew decided to ignore the text. "He'll have to see for himself." Then went onto eat his dinner and watch old Downton Abbey episodes. Though before finishing his dinner, Matt felt drowsy, wobbled a few steps to the couch and plopped onto it like a sack of potatoes, instantly falling asleep.

'Brrrrrrrrrbt' 'brrrrrrrrrbt'

"Nnng..." Matt heard the vibration of his phone.

'Brrrrrrrrrbt' 'brrrrrrr-'

Matthew waved his hand around until he got a hold his phone and held it up into his face.

"6…30?!" Matt jumped up and quickly started to rush to get himself ready. "Oh god, it's so late…We'll never be ready in time!" Upon attempting to climb the stairs, something stopped him in his tracks. Matthew looked up and saw Alfred smiling above him.

"Go get ready, I ironed your suit and made breakfast." Alfred was practically beaming. Matthew decided to not question it and went upstairs to clean himself up.

"Thanks Al!"

Matthew hopped into the shower and cleaned himself up, they were going to be late at this rate so he didn't mind the brisk water; but something had made its way into the forefront of his thoughts.

"Did…Alfred truly change his mind?" He asked himself, closing his eyes and letting the water droplets fall over his tired eyes. "Why after all he went through-?" As if on cue, Alfred spoke to him through the door. "Yo, Matt, The taxi is going to be here in ten minutes, better hurry it up!"

The question was forced onto the back burner as Matthew hurriedly got dressed in his grey suit and ran out the door to the taxi. It would take about a half hour to get to the airport, then a two hour flight to get to Chicago.

Through the ride and flight, Matthew couldn't help but notice Alfred's attire. A classic black suit and tie with a little red 'A' stitched at the breast pocket. Matthew didn't know how to respond. 'Did Al just not remember? Or was this his plan to begin with…?' He didn't speak the entire flight, as that Alfred had fallen asleep. That left Matthew to himself and puzzling questions, he almost wanted to shake Alfred awake and ask him his intentions.

Before long, they arrived at O'Hare airport and departed to the International Relations building in downtown Chicago, where they arrived just five minutes before the scheduled time.

Walking down the granite tiles, Alfred began to get nervous and turned to Matt for some sort of reassurance, but he was gone; Matthew was already down the hall to the meeting room, as he saw the wavy-haired blond that was Francis, walking inside with a group of other countries behind him. Alfred smiled as he saw the exchange between Francis and his brother, it was cute to say the least; but as he saw them, he also caught the glimpse of Arthur, who was busy scanning whatever was in his folder.

Alfred assumed that he held his breath as he looked at him, because when he opened his mouth, he let out a loud exhale that caught Arthur's attention, and then he promptly closed his folder and rushed into the room.

Alfred felt a smile creep onto his face as he walked a little slower, feeling a rush of emotion hit him. "Oh Artie…" The emotions were pleasant, and gave him a soft glazed over look. Through most of the meeting, the speaker couldn't keep Alfred's attention from the obviously perturbed Arthur. This became a problem for Alfred as he didn't pay attention to anything Ludwig, the gravelly voiced German, was saying to him specifically and resulted in Alfred getting berated for a whole minute on the importance of paying attention.

Alfred snapped out of his daze. "I'm very sorry, Ludwig. Please continue." At this, he noticed the German was surprised at his apology, as was everyone else in the room. He was not fazed, however, as his focus returned to stealing glances at Arthur, who was sitting directly across from him; Alfred's smile grew as he caught the Englishman taking a glance of his own in Alfred's direction.

As the day drew on, the meeting finally ended its monotonous speeches and adjourned. As it turns out, they would be having monthly meetings for a while to discuss security and protection from recent events.

"Fun…" Alfred mumbled as he gathered his things and watched Arthur walk through the door. He hurriedly made his way and stopped him in the hallway. "Hey! Arthur!"

Arthur was seemingly unnerved and hesitated to greet him. "Oh…Alfred, What did you need?"

"I just wanted to tell you that it was nice to see you."

"…It-It was nice to see you too, Alfred…" The exchange was tense and awkward to say the least, but Alfred didn't want to let that stop him.

"Would you like to get coffee-I mean, tea…Would you like to get tea with me sometime? Cause I just remembered you hate coffee with a passion and I-"

"I'll have to pass, Alfred." Arthur interjected and turned to walk away. Alfred's heart dropped a little bit, but was surprised when he came back looking even more flustered then before.

"I am busy this month. So I'll have to take you up on your offer next month…When we're in London for the conference."

Alfred had to keep himself from shouting to the heavens with joy. He shuffled his hands into his jacket pockets and gave Arthur a smile. "Sounds good, I look forward to it."

He managed to keep it together, until Arthur flashed him a smile and left without another word. Alfred then found the nearest small room and let out an elated howl; all was well until he saw a group of people at a table behind him just staring.

"Oh…sorry about that…" Alfred slowly made his way out of the room and ran as soon as he heard the door click behind him.

Matthew left with Francis back to Paris and now Alfred was for himself at home, he didn't mind too much, he had his fluffy cat and a date to look forward too.

'I won't screw up again…I promise.'

* * *

 **Well, there it is lovelies! The second chapter for this story.**

 **If you are confused- Good, You should be.**

 **Anyway, again, _PLEASE_ comment to me your thoughts and feelings! **

**Hate it? Okay, comment! Let me know what I can change.**

 **Love it? SWEET! Let me know!**


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